John Wayne wins Best Actor Oscar - Apr 07, 1970 - HISTORY.com John Wayne wins Best Actor Oscar Share this: John Wayne wins Best Actor Oscar Author John Wayne wins Best Actor Oscar URL Publisher A+E Networks On this day in 1970, the legendary actor John Wayne wins his first–and only–acting Academy Award, for his star turn in the director Henry Hathaway’s Western True Grit. Wayne appeared in some 150 movies over the course of his long and storied career. He established his tough, rugged, uniquely American screen persona most vividly in the many acclaimed films he made for the directors John Ford and Howard Hawks from the late 1940s into the early 1960s. He earned his first Oscar nomination, in the Best Actor category, for Sands of Iwo Jima (1949). The Alamo (1960), which Wayne produced, directed and starred in, earned a Best Picture nomination. Wayne’s Oscar for True Grit at the 42nd annual Academy Awards in 1970 was generally considered to be a largely sentimental win, and a long-overdue reward for one of Hollywood’s most enduring performers.

The Academy had failed to even nominate Wayne for any of his most celebrated performances, in films such as Stagecoach (1939), Red River (1948), The Quiet Man (1952), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) and especially Ford’s The Searchers (1956), considered by many to be the greatest Western ever made. In True Grit, Wayne played a drunken, foul-tempered but endearing U.S. marshal named Rooster Cogburn, who becomes an unlikely hero when he helps a young girl avenge the murder of her father. He would reprise the role in the film’s sequel, Rooster Cogburn (1975), opposite Katharine Hepburn. Nominated for seven Oscars at the 42nd annual awards ceremony that night, John Schlesinger’s gritty urban drama Midnight Cowboy won in the Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay categories. The film’s stars, Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman, were both nominated in the Best Actor category but lost out to Wayne.

Richard Burton (as King Henry VIII in Anne of the Thousand Days) and Peter O’Toole (as the beloved schoolmaster Arthur Chipping in Goodbye, Mr. Chips) rounded out the category. It was the fourth of what would be eight career nominations (and no wins) for O’Toole. In 1964, Wayne battled lung cancer, undergoing surgery to remove his entire left lung. He went public with news of his illness in hopes of convincing people to remain vigilant about cancer. In his last movie, The Shootist (1976), Wayne portrayed an aging gunfighter dying of cancer. Three years later, the great actor himself succumbed to stomach cancer at the age of 72 on June 11, 1979. Related Videos 1969 Academy Awards® Winners and History Z (1969, Fr./Algeria) Actor: JOHN WAYNE in "True Grit", Richard Burton in "Anne of the Thousand Days", Dustin Hoffman in "Midnight Cowboy" , Peter O'Toole in "Goodbye, Mr.

Chips", Jon Voight in "Midnight Cowboy" Actress: MAGGIE SMITH in "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie", Genevieve Bujold in "Anne of the Thousand Days", Jane Fonda in "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?", Liza Minnelli in "The Sterile Cuckoo", Jean Simmons in "The Happy Ending" Supporting Actor: GIG YOUNG in "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?", Rupert Crosse in "The Reivers", Elliott Gould in "Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice", Jack Nicholson in "Easy Rider" , Anthony Quayle in "Anne of the Thousand Days" Supporting Actress: GOLDIE HAWN in "Cactus Flower", Catherine Burns in "Last Summer", Dyan Cannon in "Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice", Sylvia Miles in "Midnight Cowboy" , Susannah York in "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" Director: JOHN SCHLESINGER for "Midnight Cowboy" , Costa-Gavras for "Z", George Roy Hill for "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" , Arthur Penn for "Alice's Restaurant", Sydney Pollack for "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" Although unlikely, it

 was interesting that nominations and awards were won by various kinds of 'Westerns' this year: a musical western - Paint Your Wagon It was also noteworthy that two major competitors this year, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Midnight Cowboy , were quintessential buddy films - although one reflected the dark side, while the other was light-hearted.

In the late 1960's, it was significant that the Academy Awards honored British film-maker John Schlesinger's seamy, hard-hitting film (with Nilsson singing "Everybody's Talkin'" on the enhanced music track) Midnight Cowboy as the Best Picture. It captured the graphic, lonely alienation of the hustler's world of New York's Times Square, and told a tale of a strange friendship between a would-be Texan stud (Jon Voight) and a sickly drifter (Dustin Hoffman). The film was daring, scandalous, and shocking with its X-certificate for language and sex (not signifying pornography but an adults-only subject with no one under 16 admitted). [This was remarkable since the previous year's Oscar winner for Best Picture was the light-hearted musical Oliver! (1968).] It was the first and only X-rated Best Picture winner in Academy history (although it was re-rated in the next decade with an R rating.) Both lead actors were nominated for Best Actor - and both lost to John Wayne for True Grit.

From its seven nominations, the film won three awards (Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay by Waldo Salt), but was unable to win any of its three acting nominations. [Waldo Salt won the film's third Oscar for his witty screenplay that was adapted from James Leo Herlihy's novel.] The other films in the same category covered a wide range of subjects: a historical drama/period piece by director Charles Jarrott about the affairs of amoral King Henry VIII (Richard Burton) who sets aside his wife for Anne Boleyn (Genevieve Bujold) - Anne of the Thousand Days (with ten nominations - more nominations than any other picture in 1969, but with only one win - Best Costume Design).

[The film was produced by Hal Wallis, his 19th Best Picture nomination - a record.] Sixties' historical pageants of this sort (after the success of Becket (1964), A Man for All Seasons (1966), and The Lion in Winter (1968)) were beginning to lose their popularity and impact the popular buddy film and revisionist Western about two legendary outlaws by director George Roy Hill, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid , (with seven nominations and four wins, the most of all Best Picture nominees) - William Goldman's Best Original Screenplay, Conrad Hall's Cinematography, Burt Bacharach's Best Original Score, and Hal David's Best Song "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head," a mix of entertaining music and comedic bank-robbing with two handsome male leads as the legendary outlaws the escapist musical and box-office failure - a re-creation of the popular Broadway show adapted from Thornton Wilder's play Matchmaker - with last year's Oscar-winner Barbra Streisand miscast in the un-nominated role of Dolly in director Gene Kelly's film, Hello, Dolly!

(with seven nominations and three wins - Best Art Direction/Set Decoration, Best Sound, and Best Musical Score) a tough political melodrama about the assassination of a 1960s Greek nationalist in director Costa-Gavras' French-Algerian co-produced thriller, Z (with five nominations and two wins - Best Film Editing and Best Foreign Language Film). [Z was the first film nominated as Best Foreign Language Film (1969) that also received a Best Picture nomination. It was also the second non-English language film to be nominated as Best Picture - the first was Jean Renoir's Grand Illusion (1938), over thirty years earlier.] The Best Director award went to British director John Schlesinger for Midnight Cowboy . Four years earlier, Schlesinger's Darling was also sexually permissive, with Julie Christie awarded Best Actress in the film as a hip model.

Other high-impact films with Best Director nominations included: Arthur Penn for Alice's Restaurant (the film's sole nomination), a 60's countercultural, hippie re-creation based upon folk singer Arlo Guthrie's song "Alice's Restaurant Massacre" Costa-Gavras for the political thriller Z, originally subtitled "The Anatomy of a Political Assassination" and based upon the 1963 real-life killing of a Greek liberal Sydney Pollack's They Shoot Horses, Don't They?

(with nine nominations, not including Best Picture, and one win - Best Supporting Actor), the Depression-Era tale based on Horace McCoy's novel, of the desperate, self-destructive contestants in the Aragon Ballroom six-day marathon dances of early 1930s Los Angeles - this film was conspicuously missing from the Best Picture nominees The two co-stars of the Best Picture winner Midnight Cowboy were fellow nominees for Best Actor: Jon Voight (with his first nomination) as uneducated, wanna-be hustler/stud but naive blonde Texas boy Joe Buck who, after being influenced by radio and TV commercials, wants to pimp himself in the big city Dustin Hoffman (with his second nomination) as grimy, tubercular, gimp-gaited, sickly street-savvy Bronx hustler Enrico 'Ratso' Rizzo The other two defeated Best Actor nominees were: Richard Burton (with his sixth of seven unsuccessful career nominations) was nominated for his role as boisterous King Henry VIII in Anne of the Thousand Days.

[The character role of King Henry VIII has been nominated more than any other literary or historical figure - previously, Charles Laughton for The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933), and Robert Shaw for A Man for All Seasons (1966).] Peter O'Toole (with his fourth of eight career nominations) was nominated for his playing of Arthur Chipping - the beloved schoolmaster in the title role of director Herbert Ross' directorial debut with the musical remake of the 1939 film classic, Goodbye, Mr. Chips (with two nominations and no wins), based upon James Hilton's novel about a kind English all-boys school teacher. Sixty-two year-old John Wayne's 'sentimental' win of the Best Actor Oscar in 1969 (as a different kind of cowboy from the one in the Best Picture of the year) has generally been considered as a belated, long-overdue 'career' Oscar award or 'sentimental favorite' award.

He was nominated (this was his second acting nomination, after being nominated as Best Actor for Sands of Iwo Jima (1949)) and finally won for his 139th film, Henry Hathaway's True Grit, in a self-parodying role as the one-eyed (eye-patched), mean-tempered, hard-drinking, old US marshal named Rooster Cogburn who helps a young girl (Kim Darby) and a Texas ranger avenge the murder of the girl's father. [The film was remade in 2010 with Jeff Bridges in the starring role.] [Six years later, Wayne reprised his character in the title role of the sequel Rooster Cogburn (1975). Wayne would eventually appear in 151 films in his career. And he had performed in some of the best films and roles ever created - without nominations and/or Oscars: The Ringo Kid in Captain Nathan Brittles in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) Sgt. John M.

Stryker in Sands of Iwo Jima (1949) Sean Thornton in The Searchers (1956) - this was the film for which he should have won an Oscar! Tom Doniphon in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) But Wayne's only previous acting nomination was for his role in the war film The Sands of Iwo Jima (1949). The Alamo (1960), in which Wayne served as producer, director, and actor - as Davy Crockett - received a Best Film nomination.] British thespian Maggie Smith's Best Actress Award was won for the Ronald Neame-directed adaptation of Muriel Spark's novel/play, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie in which she portrayed the title role of a 1930s elitist, spinsterish, but inspirational, free-thinking, and eccentric teacher at the conservative Edinburgh school for girls.

[The win was her second nomination - her first was for her role in Othello (1965).] Smith's dark-horse win defeated two other favorites and first-time nominees: Jane Fonda (with her first nomination) as penniless, resolute, suicidal dance contestant and would-be actress Gloria Beatty in They Shoot Horses, Don't They?

Liza Minnelli (with her first nomination in her adult screen debut) as Pookie Adams, an eccentric, neurotic, aggressive college student, in director Alan Pakula's debut film, the romantic comedy The Sterile Cuckoo (with two nominations and no wins) Genevieve Bujold (with her sole nomination in her first major Hollywood film) as Anne Boleyn - the ill-fated Anne whose days were numbered in Anne of the Thousand Days Jean Simmons (with her second and last unsuccessful nomination, following her loss for Hamlet (1948)) as Mary Wilson - an unhappily-married, unfulfilled woman who seeks to find herself in director Richard Brooks' The Happy Ending (with two nominations and no wins) Gig Young (with his third career nomination - and sole Oscar win) won the Best Supporting Actor award for his role as "Yowsir"-yelling Rocky - the uncaring, dissipated, ruthless emcee/Master of ceremonies of the tragic dance marathons for desperate couples in They Shoot Horses, Don't They?

[Young had already been nominated twice before for Come Fill the Cup (1951) and Teacher's Pet (1958).] Other Best Supporting Actor nominees included: Anthony Quayle (with his sole career nomination) as Cardinal Wolsey in Anne of the Thousand Days newcomer Jack Nicholson (with his first nomination) as George Hanson in one of the best youth-oriented, low-budget, counter-cultural films of the late 1960s - a middle-class, alcoholic lawyer who joins Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda (as two motorcycling hippies) on a cross-country journey in co-writer/director Hopper's debut film, Easy Rider (with two nominations and no wins) Elliott Gould (with his sole nomination) as conservative Ted Henderson - one member of the swinging, spouse-swapping married couples in California in director Paul Mazursky's debut film Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (with four nominations and no wins) Rupert Crosse (with his sole nomination) as Ned McClaslin - a black servant (and Steve McQueen's sidekick) who rides in a stolen car from small-town Mississippi to Memphis in 1905 in the adapted William Faulkner tale directed by Mark Rydell - The

 Reivers (with two nominations and no wins).

[Rupert Crosse was the first black actor to be given a Best Supporting Actor nomination. He was only the second black performer to receive an acting nomination in either category - the first was Sidney Poitier.] The Best Supporting Actress award was presented to Goldie Hawn (with her first nomination - and sole Oscar win) for her role as Toni Simmons - the infatuated mistress/girlfriend (of dentist Walter Matthau) in director Gene Saks' Cactus Flower (the film's sole nomination). [The role was Hawn's first major screen role (and second film) following star appearances as a giggly and dumb, body-painted, bikini-clad, go-go blonde on late 60's TV's Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In.

With her win, she became the first actress to win a Best Supporting Oscar while simultaneously starring in a TV-sitcom.] Her fellow Best Supporting Actress nominees included: Dyan Cannon (with her first of two unsuccessful career nominations) as Alice (Gould's wife) in Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice Sylvia Miles (with her first of two unsuccessful nominations for brief cameo roles) as Cass - a wily hooker who out-hustles $20 from Joe Buck for taxi cab fare in Midnight Cowboy Susannah York (with her sole nomination) as hopeful Jean Harlow-starlet Alice - another of the broken-down dance contestants in They Shoot Horses, Don't They?

Catherine Burns (with her sole nomination) as Rhoda - a slightly plump, homely teen who tragically comes of age during a summer vacation on the white sands of Fire Island, NY in director Frank Perry's dark film Last Summer (the film's sole nomination) Debonair leading man Cary Grant was presented with this year's Special Honorary Oscar award, for "his unique mastery of the art of screen acting with the respect and affection of his colleagues." Grant had only been nominated twice (and never won an Oscar) in his entire career, uncharacteristically for dramas, as Best Actor for Penny Serenade (1941) and for None But the Lonely Heart (1944), but he was best-known for his screwball comedies, including Topper (1937), The Awful Truth (1937) , Holiday (1938), North by Northwest (1959) , and for the romantic melodrama An Affair to Remember (1957).

Oscar Snubs and Omissions: Two westerns were entirely neglected by the Academy in 1969 for Best Picture and Best Director: Sam Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch (with only two nominations - Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Score) Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West (1968, It.) (with no nominations) Although Easy Rider received two nominations (that both lost), Best Adapted Screenplay (Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Terry Southern) and Best Supporting Actor (Jack Nicholson), it should also have been nominated for Best Picture for its influential role and landmark place in cinematic history. And Haskell Wexler's semi-documentary political film Medium Cool lacked nominations in all categories. Although Sydney Pollack's They Shoot Horses, Don't They? received a remarkable nine nominations, one of them wasn't Best Picture. It became the first (and only) film to receive the most nominations ever (9) without being nominated for Best Picture. Neither Paul Newman nor Robert Redford (in their first teaming together) received Best Actor nominations as the title characters in the box-office success, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid .

Shirley Knight and James Caan were both ignored for their performances in Francis Ford Coppola's The Rain People: Knight as Natalie Ravenna - an on-the-road pregnant housewife, and Caan as brain-damaged ex-football player 'Killer' Jimmie Kilgannon. And ex-model Ali McGraw was unnominated for her role as Jewish princess Brenda in Goodbye, Columbus (with only one nomination - Best Adapted Screenplay). John Wayne (1907 - 1979) - Find A Grave Memorial Los Angeles County California, USA Actor. He is noted mostly for his military and cowboy roles, and an American Icon. Fiercely patriotic and a staunch American, he represented an American ideal of rugged individualism. Politically conservative and hawkish, he was directly the opposite of many Hollywood stars, and often ridiculed for his political opinions. Born Marion Morrison in Winterset, Iowa, his family moved to southern California, where his father owned a ranch, and he learned to ride a horse. When the ranch failed, his family moved to Glendale, California, where he attended high school, and had an airdale dog named "Duke" (source of his later nickname).

When he narrowly missed getting an appointment to the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, he went to the University of Southern California (USC) on a football scholarship. Actor Cowboy Tom Mix got him a summer job as a prop man, in exchange for USC football tickets. On the set, he became lifelong friends with Director John Ford, for whom he began doing bit parts. His first film, in 1930, was "Men Without Women." After bit parts in some 70 films, his breakthrough came in the 1939 film "Stagecoach," where he emerged a star. He holds the record for the actor playing the most leading parts, in 142 movies. He stayed mostly with his best acting roles, those of strong military men or fierce independent cowboys, since that suited the audiences. He was exempt from military service in World War II due to an ear infection which left him partially deaf. In 1948, he starred in "Red River", giving a dynamic performance which made critics take notice. However, he is best remembered for his performance in the John Ford cavalry trilogy, "Fort Apache", "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon", and "Rio Grande".

He had good film chemistry with Maureen O'Hara, and in 1952, he made "The Quiet Man" with her, considered by many to be Wayne's most endearing film. When Republic Pictures refused to make "The Alamo", Wayne started his own studio, Batjac, and made the film (1960). In 1968, during the Vietnam War, he made the film "The Green Berets", considered the only pro-Vietnam War film made in that period. He won an Oscar (his only one) for his role as a boozy, one-eyed, over-the-hill lawman in "True Grit" (1969), a role he reprised in "Rooster Cogburn" (1975). His acting abilities were often underrated by the critics, yet he was always a professional actor who knew his lines, his mark, and was on time for shooting. (bio by: Kit and Morgan Benson) Photos may be scaled. Click on image for full size. Duke may you always be riding tall in the saddle-your legend always remain-Monument Valley-Wild Goose-You had GRIT-RIP DUKE - Neil W.

Added: Jan. 11, 2017 Happy New Year Duke!Gearing up for another year, so stay with me and keep riding alongside of me because we have much to do and I don't want to waste any daylight!Always in my prayers. - John Wayne Tecce Added: Jan. 3, 2017 God bless you throughout Winter, the cold, harsh season in which nature sleeps and goes dormant, awaiting the arrival of Spring. Rest in Peace. Oscars: Every single best actor winner - CNN.com Oscars: Every single best actor winner By Breeanna Hare, CNN Updated 3:17 PM ET, Thu February 20, 2014 Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds. Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Leonardo DiCaprio accepts the best actor award at the 88th annual Academy Awards on February 28, 2016.

DiCaprio won for his role in "The Revenant." Here are the actors whose footsteps he has followed in: Hide Caption 1 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Emil Jannings (1929) – The first best actor Oscar went to Emil Jannings at the academy's inaugural ceremony held in 1929. Jannings received the honors for two films: 1927's "The Way of All Flesh" and 1928's "The Last Command." Hide Caption 2 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Warner Baxter (1930) – Warner Baxter, right, earned the best actor Oscar for his role as the Cisco Kid in "In Old Arizona" (1929). Baxter appears here with best actress winner Mary Pickford at the April 1930 awards ceremony, which recognized films made between August 1, 1928, and July 31, 1929. Baxter loved the role so much he reprised it twice more, in "The Cisco Kid" (1931) and again in "The Return of the Cisco Kid" (1939).

Hide Caption 3 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors George Arliss (1930) – George Arliss won the best actor Oscar for "Disraeli," apparently also beating himself since he was nominated for that film and "The Green Goddess." In the early years of the Oscar, a single nomination could recognize more than one role. However, for reasons not entirely clear, the actor won solely for "Disraeli." Perhaps it was a glitch on behalf of the academy, or perhaps voters truly preferred his portrayal as the famed British prime minister. The November 1930 awards ceremony recognized work from 1929 and 1930. Hide Caption 4 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Lionel Barrymore (1931) – Lionel Barrymore, here with "Min and Bill" best actress winner Marie Dressler, won the best actor Oscar for his work in "A Free Soul." Barrymore played an alcoholic lawyer whose daughter gets involved with a mobster he helped go free.

Hide Caption 5 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Wallace Beery (1932) – The previous year's Oscar winner Lionel Barrymore, left, presents Wallace Beery, right, with the best actor Oscar for "The Champ." Beery tied that year with Fredric March in "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." Hide Caption 6 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Fredric March (1932) – Fredric March, right, was honored the same year as Wallace Beery for "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." Beery actually received one less vote than March, which it resulted in a tie winner according to academy rules of the day. Hide Caption 7 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Charles Laughton (1934) – British actor Charles Laughton won the best actor Oscar for the title role "The Private Life of Henry VIII" (1933), beating out Leslie Howard in "Berkeley Square" (1933) and Paul Muni in "I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang" (1932).

The sixth awards ceremony was held in March 1934 and recognized movies released from August 1, 1932, to December 31, 1933. Hide Caption 8 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Clark Gable (1935) – Clark Gable's status as a Hollywood icon was cemented when the box-office star won the best actor Oscar for Frank Capra's "It Happened One Night" (1934). The screwball comedy was a massive hit with academy voters at the February 1935 ceremony, sweeping the five big categories -- best picture, best director (Capra), best adapted screenplay and best actress (Claudette Colbert). Hide Caption 9 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Victor McLaglen (1936) – Victor McLaglen, left, beat out two earlier Oscar winners to claim the best actor prize for "The Informer." He was up against Charles Laughton and Clark Gable, both nominated for their roles in best picture winner "Mutiny on the Bounty." McLaglen appears with best actress winner Bette Davis and filmmaker D.W.

Griffith of "The Birth of a Nation" fame at the March 1936 ceremony. Hide Caption 10 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Paul Muni (1937) – After two earlier best actor nominations, Paul Muni finally won for the title role in "The Story of Louis Pasteur," the first of several biographical films he made at Warner Bros. Hide Caption 11 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Spencer Tracy (1938) – Spencer Tracy, left, with co-star Freddie Bartholomew, won his first best actor Oscar as a Portuguese fisherman in "Captains Courageous." He beat out Oscar-winning actors Fredric March in "A Star Is Born" and Paul Muni in "The Life of Emile Zola." It was Tracy's second nomination. Hide Caption 12 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Spencer Tracy (1939) – Spencer Tracy takes home his second best actor Oscar for "Boys Town." He appears here with Bette Davis, best actress for "Jezebel," at the ceremony held in 1939.

Hide Caption 13 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Robert Donat (1940) – Robert Donat's Oscar win for "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" was definitely a surprise. Donat earned the honors for his title role as a schoolteacher, beating out some strong performances, including Clark Gable in "Gone With the Wind," James Stewart in "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" and Laurence Olivier in "Wuthering Heights." Hide Caption 14 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors James Stewart (1941) – After losing the Oscar a year earlier for his iconic role in "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," James Stewart received the award playing a reporter who falls for Katharine Hepburn in "The Philadelphia Story." Stewart and best actress winner Ginger Rogers celebrate their wins at the ceremony held in 1941.

Hide Caption 15 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Gary Cooper (1942) – James Stewart, right, bestows pal Gary Cooper with the statuette for "Sergeant York." Cooper nabbed the win over Orson Welles, whose "Citizen Kane" also lost out on the best picture award but has become the epitome of a Hollywood classic. Hide Caption 16 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors James Cagney (1943) – Gary Cooper, right, congratulates James Cagney for his best actor win in "Yankee Doodle Dandy" at the Oscar ceremony held in 1943. Cooper, also a nominee for "The Pride of the Yankees," didn't seem to hold a grudge against Cagney.

Hide Caption 17 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Paul Lukas (1944) – Character actor Paul Lukas faced stiff competition from stars Humphrey Bogart ("Casablanca") and Gary Cooper ("For Whom the Bell Tolls"), but he was able to take home the Oscar for "Watch on the Rhine." Lukas and best actress winner Jennifer Jones celebrate at the ceremony held in 1944. Hide Caption 18 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Bing Crosby (1945) – Bing Crosby, right, and co-star Barry Fitzgerald find a reason to celebrate after the 1945 awards ceremony. They won the best actor and best supporting actor awards, respectively, for "Going My Way." Hide Caption 19 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Ray Milland (1946) – Ray Milland had a prolific career for decades -- including a standout role in Alfred Hitchcock's "Dial M for Murder" -- but he received only one Oscar nomination.

Luckily, he made it count, winning the best actor prize for his role as an alcoholic writer in "The Lost Weekend." Ingrid Bergman presents Milland with the prize at the 1946 ceremony. Hide Caption 20 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Fredric March (1947) – Fredric March, right, Dana Andrews, center, and Harold Russell struck a chord with postwar audiences as servicemen returning home in "The Best Years of Our Lives." March picked up his second Oscar for the role. Hide Caption 21 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Ronald Colman (1948) – Ronald Colman, far right, a star since the silent days, picked up the best actor Oscar as a jealous actor in "A Double Life." Coleman appears with the year's other winners at the 1948 ceremony -- from left, Darryl Zanuck, producer of best picture "Gentleman's Agreement," best actress Loretta Young, best supporting actor Edmund Gwenn and best supporting actress Celeste Holm.

Hide Caption 22 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Laurence Olivier (1949) – Laurence Olivier's commitment to bringing Shakespeare's "Hamlet" to the screen paid off handsomely at the Oscars. Olivier walked away with the best actor Oscar in the title role, and "Hamlet" also won for best picture. Here Olivier appears with best actress winner Jane Wyman in 1949. Hide Caption 23 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Broderick Crawford (1950) – Broderick Crawford, second from left, pushed past Kirk Douglas, Gregory Peck, Richard Todd and John Wayne to win the best actor Oscar with "All the King's Men." Crawford appears with best supporting actress winner Mercedes McCambridge, far left, best actress winner Olivia de Havilland and best supporting actor winner Dean Jagger at the 1950 ceremony.

Hide Caption 24 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors José Ferrer (1951) – Puerto Rican-born José Ferrer became the first Hispanic to win an Oscar when he was named best actor for "Cyrano de Bergerac." Here he appears with Gloria Swanson, left, and Judy Holliday (best actress for "Born Yesterday") in 1951. Hide Caption 25 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Humphrey Bogart (1952) – Claire Trevor can't resist giving Humphrey Bogart a kiss backstage at the 1952 Oscars ceremony after he won the best actor award for "The African Queen." Bogart beat out Marlon Brando in "A Streetcar Named Desire," Fredric March in "Death of a Salesman" and Montgomery Clift in "A Place in the Sun." Hide Caption 26 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Gary Cooper (1953) – Gary Cooper won his second best actor award for the classic Western "High Noon" with Grace Kelly.

Among Cooper's competitors were Kirk Douglas in "The Bad and the Beautiful," José Ferrer in "Moulin Rouge," Alec Guinness in "The Lavender Hill Mob" and Marlon Brando in "Viva Zapata!" Hide Caption 27 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors William Holden (1954) – William Holden celebrates his best actor win for "Stalag 17" with best supporting actress winner Donna Reed at the Oscar ceremony in 1954. It was the actor's second nomination; his first was for Billy Wilder's 1950 classic "Sunset Boulevard." Hide Caption 28 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Marlon Brando (1955) – Oscars host Bob Hope, right, might have tried, but there was no way Marlon Brando was parting with his best actor award at the 1955 ceremony.

Brando had lost three years in a row before then, but the actor's luck finally changed with "On the Waterfront." Hide Caption 29 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Ernest Borgnine (1956) – Ernest Borgnine faced heavy competition for best actor, beating out James Dean ("East of Eden"), Frank Sinatra ("The Man With the Golden Arm"), James Cagney ("Love Me or Leave Me") and Spencer Tracy ("Bad Day at Black Rock"). Backstage at the 1956 ceremony, Borgnine holds the Oscar for his portrayal of a lonely butcher in "Marty." Hide Caption 30 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Yul Brynner (1957) – Yul Brynner repeated his stage success as the King of Siam, winning the best actor Oscar for "The King and I." He's pictured at the 1957 ceremony.

Hide Caption 31 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Alec Guinness (1958) – British actor Alec Guinness will always be known to "Star Wars" fans as Obi-Wan Kenobi, but he had an illustrious career on stage and screen long before the George Lucas blockbuster.

After losing an earlier Oscar nomination, he finally won the best actor award as a World War II British officer in "The Bridge on the River Kwai." Hide Caption 32 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors David Niven (1959) – David Niven, right, joins fellow Oscar winners Burl Ives and Susan Hayward at the 1959 ceremony after winning the best actor award for "Separate Tables." The actor fought off competition from Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier, both up for "The Defiant Ones"; Paul Newman in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof"; and Spencer Tracy in "The Old Man and the Sea." Hide Caption 33 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Charlton Heston (1960) – Charlton Heston helped "Ben-Hur" to win a record 11 Academy Awards, shutting out Jack Lemmon, James Stewart, Paul Muni and Laurence Harvey as best actor. Heston appears with French actress Simone Signoret (best actress for "Room at the Top") at the 1960 ceremony.

Hide Caption 34 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Burt Lancaster (1961) – Burt Lancaster was a winner two times over at the 1961 Oscar ceremony. He won the best actor prize for the title role in "Elmer Gantry," and he had glamorous Elizabeth Taylor, best actress winner for "Butterfield 8," by his side backstage. Hide Caption 35 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Maximilian Schell (1962) – Maximilian Schell won the best actor Oscar over his "Judgment at Nuremberg" co-star Spencer Tracy. Schell had previously portrayed the character of German lawyer Hans Rolfe in a television version of "Judgment." Hide Caption 36 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Gregory Peck (1963) – Gregory Peck's performance as lawyer Atticus Finch in the film of Harper Lee's novel, "To Kill a Mockingbird," was a standout to academy voters.

He beat out some stiff competition for best actor: Peter O'Toole for "Lawrence of Arabia" and Burt Lancaster for "Birdman of Alcatraz." Here Peck and his wife, Veronique, attend an Oscar after-party in 1963. Hide Caption 37 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Sidney Poitier (1964) – Sidney Poitier became the first African-American to win the best actor Oscar -- for his work in "Lilies of the Field." Poitier had been nominated once before for "The Defiant Ones." Interestingly, Poitier was the only one of the four acting category winners present at the 1964 ceremony. Hide Caption 38 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Rex Harrison (1965) – Who didn't fall in love with "My Fair Lady"? The academy sure did. Rex Harrison took the best actor prize for his role as Henry Higgins at the 1965 ceremony, and the musical won best picture honors, among others.

But Audrey Hepburn's performance has Eliza Doolittle wasn't even nominated -- the Oscar went to Julie Andrews for "Mary Poppins." Hide Caption 39 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Lee Marvin (1966) – Lee Marvin won the Oscar for his comic role in "Cat Ballou" over dramatic heavyweights such as Laurence Olivier in "Othello," Richard Burton in "The Spy Who Came in From the Cold," Rod Steiger in "The Pawnbroker" and Oskar Werner in "Ship of Fools." Here, Marvin appears with then-girlfriend Michelle Triola in 1966.

Hide Caption 40 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Paul Scofield (1967) – Paul Scofield also was up against some heavyweight actors, particularly Richard Burton in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" But Scofield, here with Susannah York, won for his work as Thomas More in the period drama "A Man for All Seasons." Hide Caption 41 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Rod Steiger (1968) – Sidney Poitier may have been the star of the detective drama "In the Heat of the Night," but he was snubbed in the Oscars race. It wasn't that academy voters didn't love the movie though: "In the Heat of the Night" won best picture as well as best actor for Poitier's co-star, Rod Steiger, here holding his Oscar at the 1968 ceremony. Hide Caption 42 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Cliff Robertson (1969) – Cliff Robertson's portrayal of a mentally challenged man in the drama "Charly" was enough to bowl over competition such as Peter O'Toole and Alan Arkin.

Hide Caption 43 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors John Wayne (1970) – The best actor category was fierce the year John Wayne won the gold for "True Grit." In only his second nomination, the Hollywood legend beat out newcomers Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight in "Midnight Cowboy" as well as Richard Burton in "Anne of the Thousand Days" and Peter O'Toole in "Goodbye, Mr. Chips." Barbra Streisand congratulates Wayne at the 1970 ceremony. Hide Caption 44 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors George C. Scott (1971) – "Patton" features one of the most readily recognizable images in films -- that of George C. Scott's general standing in front of the American flag -- and it was as critically acclaimed as it was popular. But while "Patton" nabbed the best picture title and a best actor Oscar for Scott, the actor was having none of it.

He refused to accept the prize, calling the politics surrounding the ceremony "demeaning" and likening the Oscars to a "two-hour meat parade." Hide Caption 45 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Gene Hackman (1972) – Everyone wanted in on "The French Connection," and star Gene Hackman was rewarded handsomely with the best actor award at the 1972 ceremony. Hide Caption 46 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Marlon Brando (1973) – An Oscar is an honor most stars would never refuse, but Marlon Brando did when the academy bestowed him with the best actor prize for "The Godfather" at the 1973 ceremony. Brando, who had won the award once before, said he was protesting the portrayal of Native Americans on TV and in film. Hide Caption 47 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Jack Lemmon (1974) – The academy loved to nominate Jack Lemmon, but it wasn't always so quick to give him the prize. The star's luck changed when "Save the Tiger" earned him a best actor Oscar.

Hide Caption 48 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Art Carney (1975) – For Art Carney, there were two phrases that helped him secure the best actor Oscar for "Harry and Tonto." "Do it! You are old," words of wisdom that came from his agent. Hide Caption 49 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Jack Nicholson (1976) – After losing out four times as an Oscar nominee, Jack Nicholson triumphantly claimed his prize for "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." Hide Caption 50 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Peter Finch (1977) – "Network's" Peter Finch faced some tough competition for the best actor award. He was up against Robert De Niro in "Taxi Driver" and Sylvester Stallone in best picture winner "Rocky" as well as his "Network" co-star, William Holden. Finch died two months before the March 1977 ceremony and became the first actor to win an Oscar posthumously.

Hide Caption 51 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Richard Dreyfuss (1978) – John Travolta in "Saturday Night Fever" and Woody Allen in "Annie Hall" have become prime examples of characters in '70s films, but Richard Dreyfuss' performance as a struggling actor in "The Goodbye Girl" stood out the most to academy voters at the time. Here the actor accepts his prize at the 1978 ceremony. Hide Caption 52 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Jon Voight (1979) – Jon Voight had been nominated for a best actor Oscar once before for 1969's "Midnight Cowboy," but it was the Vietnam War drama "Coming Home" that finally earned him the honors. Hide Caption 53 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Dustin Hoffman (1980) – Like Jack Nicholson before him, Dustin Hoffman was forever the bridesmaid and never the bride.

But after losing for "Midnight Cowboy," "The Graduate" and "Lenny," Hoffman got to accept the award at the 1980 ceremony, thanks to his work in best picture winner "Kramer vs. Kramer." Hide Caption 54 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Robert De Niro (1981) – Robert De Niro faced movie greats such as Peter O'Toole and Jack Lemmon in the best actor category. De Niro had already won the best supporting actor Oscar for "The Godfather: Part II," and academy voters couldn't help but hand him the best actor prize for "Raging Bull" -- especially since he gained nearly 60 pounds to play Jake LaMotta as an aging boxer. Hide Caption 55 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Henry Fonda (1982) – After being a movie legend for more than 40 years, Henry Fonda won his first competitive Oscar for "On Golden Pond." His co-star, Katharine Hepburn, also shined in the movie as his wife, picking up her fourth best actress prize.

Hide Caption 56 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Ben Kingsley (1983) – Ben Kingsley's portrayal in "Gandhi" was the performance to beat in that year's best actor Oscar race, and neither Dustin Hoffman in "Tootsie" nor Paul Newman in "The Verdict" could compete. Hide Caption 57 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Robert Duvall (1984) – Robert Duvall won the best actor prize for his performance as a country singer in "Tender Mercies." Hide Caption 58 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors F. Murray Abraham (1985) – F. Murray Abraham's performance as Salieri in "Amadeus" rocked academy voters, who named him best actor.

Hide Caption 59 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors William Hurt (1986) – "Out of Africa" dominated the Oscars at the 1986 ceremony, but William Hurt picked up the best actor award for his portrayal of a gay imprisoned man in "Kiss of the Spider Woman." Hide Caption 60 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Paul Newman (1987) – Paul Newman's performance in "The Color of Money" struck Oscar gold. It was the actor's first competitive Oscar win, but he wasn't there to accept it -- he'd joked that, after showing up and losing six other times, he might finally nab the prize if he stayed away. Hide Caption 61 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Michael Douglas (1988) – Gordon Gekko's creed of greed was very, very good to Michael Douglas. The star -- and son of another frequent Oscar nominee, Kirk Douglas -- earned his first Oscar nomination and first win for best actor for his role as the ruthless corporate raider in "Wall Street." Here Douglas appears with Marlee Matlin at the 1988 ceremony.

Hide Caption 62 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Dustin Hoffman (1989) – Awards came pouring in for "Rain Man" with Dustin Hoffman, left, as an autistic savant and Tom Cruise as his younger brother. Hoffman picked up his second best actor Oscar and received congratulations from Cruise at the 1989 ceremony. Cruise wasn't even nominated, but he was probably just fine with starring in the best picture winner. Hide Caption 63 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Daniel Day-Lewis (1990) – Before Daniel Day-Lewis became so revered he could strike fear in the hearts of Oscar competitors, the British performer proved his mettle with the biopic "My Left Foot," earning his first best actor Oscar.

It was no easy task: Day-Lewis was up against Morgan Freeman in "Driving Miss Daisy," Kenneth Branagh in "Henry V," Tom Cruise in "Born on the Fourth of July" and Robin Williams in "Dead Poets Society." Hide Caption 64 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Jeremy Irons (1991) – We suppose the academy couldn't justify giving Kevin Costner the best director, best picture and the best actor prize for "Dances With Wolves," so Jeremy Irons took home the statuette for best actor for his role as Claus von Bülow in "Reversal of Fortune." Hide Caption 65 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Anthony Hopkins (1992) – Anthony Hopkins absolutely killed as Hannibal Lecter in "The Silence of the Lambs," so it wasn't surprising that he secured the best actor Oscar for the role. Hide Caption 66 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Al Pacino (1993) – Before "Scent of a Woman," Al Pacino had been nominated for best actor four times and best supporting actor twice without winning.

But the star's moment to accept the best actor Oscar finally came at the 1993 ceremony. Pacino may have won for "Scent of a Woman," but he also lost that year in the best supporting actor category for "Glengarry Glen Ross." Hide Caption 67 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Tom Hanks (1994) – Little did anyone know that when Tom Hanks won the best actor Oscar for the legal drama "Philadelphia" he'd be back at the Oscars very soon, and in a very different role. Hide Caption 68 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Tom Hanks (1995) – Tom Hanks proved his versatility when he won the best actor Oscar for the second year in a row. His prize this time was for his performance as the mentally challenged but indefatigable "Forrest Gump." Hide Caption 69 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Nicolas Cage (1996) – Nicolas Cage may now be the butt of Internet jokes -- surely you've seen him swing from a "Wrecking Ball" ? -- but he was the man to beat at the 1996 Oscar ceremony.

Cage won the best actor prize for "Leaving Las Vegas," his first nomination and first win. Hide Caption 70 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Geoffrey Rush (1997) – Some actors languish as nominees for years before winning an Oscar, but Geoffrey Rush won the best actor prize on his first try with "Shine." Hide Caption 71 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Jack Nicholson (1998) – By now, everyone knew what a powerhouse Jack Nicholson was, but he reminded moviegoers again with "As Good as It Gets," picking up yet another best actor Oscar. Hide Caption 72 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Roberto Benigni (1999) – Italian actor Roberto Benigni was unknown to American audiences before "Life Is Beautiful," but he stole the show at the 1999 Oscars ceremony. The academy gave him the best actor Oscar for "Life Is Beautiful," which also won the prize for best foreign-language film.

Hide Caption 73 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Kevin Spacey (2000) – "American Beauty" was a cynical look at American middle class life with a new century arriving. Star Kevin Spacey received the best actor award for his portrayal of a middle-aged man who lusts after his teenage daughter's friend. The film also won best picture, director (Sam Mendes) and original screenplay (Alan Ball). Hide Caption 74 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Russell Crowe (2001) – The academy fawned over Russell Crowe's "Gladiator," a sword and sandals epic that picked up honors for best picture, best costume design, best sound, best visual effects and best actor -- the first win for the Australian Crowe. Hide Caption 75 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Denzel Washington (2002) – Denzel Washington has a reputation as a nice guy in Hollywood, so his transformation into the monstrous detective Alonzo in "Training Day" was incredible to watch.

After already winning a best supporting actor statuette for "Glory," Washington took home the best actor award for "Training Day," making him the first African-American to win both. Hide Caption 76 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Adrien Brody (2003) – Adrien Brody appeared so thrilled when he won best actor award for "The Pianist" he even got Oscar presenter Halle Berry caught up in the moment with a passionate kiss at the 2003 ceremony. "I bet they didn't tell you that was in the gift bag," he joked when he finished. It was his first nomination and win. Hide Caption 77 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Sean Penn (2004) – The Oscar race for best actor was a tough one when Sean Penn faced off with Jude Law for "Cold Mountain" and Bill Murray for "Lost in Translation," among others. In the end, it was Penn's work in "Mystic River" that earned him his first Academy Award.

Hide Caption 78 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Jamie Foxx (2005) – Before "Ray," Jamie Foxx was known primarily as a comedian -- the kind who would star in a popcorn flick like "Booty Call." But after his portrayal of singer Ray Charles in a musical biography, people realized he had been underestimated as an actor. The academy started paying attention, too, and gave Foxx two nominations for the 2005 ceremony: one for best actor for "Ray" and another for best supporting actor for "Collateral." He didn't win in the best supporting category, but we bet he's been able to live with that loss. Hide Caption 79 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Philip Seymour Hoffman (2006) – Philip Seymour Hoffman 's portrayal of writer Truman Capote in "Capote" was the kind of rock-solid immersion audiences had come to expect from the actor. He got his due with the best actor award -- his only Oscar.

Hide Caption 80 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Forest Whitaker (2007) – Until "The Last King of Scotland," Forest Whitaker had been completely overlooked by the academy. But after he turned in a masterful portrayal of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, academy voters handed him the Oscar. Hide Caption 81 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Daniel Day-Lewis (2008) – If Daniel Day-Lewis is in the running, chances are there will be an award for him. The actor won his second best actor Oscar for "There Will Be Blood." He receives the award from Helen Mirren at the 2008 ceremony. Hide Caption 82 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Sean Penn (2009) – Sean Penn, here with best actress Kate Winslet, left, and best supporting actress Penelope Cruz, gave the performance of a lifetime as openly gay politician and activist Harvey Milk in "Milk." The academy rewarded Penn with his second best actor Oscar at the 2009 ceremony.

Hide Caption 83 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Jeff Bridges (2010) – Jeff Bridges was understandably ecstatic when he won the best actor Oscar for "Crazy Heart." Bridges had been nominated four times before, and, with competition from George Clooney in "Up in the Air" and Jeremy Renner in "The Hurt Locker," his wasn't an obvious win. So when his name was called at the 2010 ceremony, Bridges relished the moment in his acceptance speech : "Thank you, mom and dad, for turning me on to such a groovy profession," he said. Hide Caption 84 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Colin Firth (2011) – Colin Firth's portrayal of King George VI's fight to overcome a speech impediment beat out Jesse Eisenberg ("The Social Network") and James Franco ("127 Hours"), among others, to win the best actor Oscar. Hide Caption 85 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Jean Dujardin (2012) – "The Artist," a silent, black-and-white movie, was a celebration of old-school film.

Its star, French actor Jean Dujardin, seemed to have a virtual lock on the best actor Oscar, even though he was competing against the likes of George Clooney and Brad Pitt. When awards night arrived in 2012, Dujardin walked away with the prize. Hide Caption 86 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Daniel Day-Lewis (2013) – Once again, the Oscar race for best actor was jam-packed with amazing performances, from Bradley Cooper in "Silver Linings Playbook" to Denzel Washington in "Flight." But Daniel Day-Lewis completely transformed himself into the 16th U.S. president for Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln," and he walked away with the honors at the 2013 ceremony, becoming the first three-time best actor winner. Hide Caption 87 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Matthew McConaughey (2014) – Matthew McConaughey won the Oscar in 2014 for his role in "Dallas Buyers Club" as Ron Woodroof, an HIV-positive man who smuggles drugs to AIDS patients. Co-star Jared Leto was named best supporting actor.

Hide Caption 88 of 89 Photos: Oscar-winning best actors Eddie Redmayne wins best actor for his performance as Stephen Hawking in "The Theory of Everything" at the 87th Academy Awards in 2015. Hide Caption John Wayne dies - Jun 11, 1979 - HISTORY.com John Wayne dies Publisher A+E Networks On this day in 1979, John Wayne, an iconic American film actor famous for starring in countless westerns, dies at age 72 after battling cancer for more than a decade. The actor was born Marion Morrison on May 26, 1907, in Winterset, Iowa, and moved as a child to Glendale, California. A football star at Glendale High School, he attended the University of Southern California on a scholarship but dropped out after two years. After finding work as a movie studio laborer, Wayne befriended director John Ford, then a rising talent. His first acting jobs were bit parts in which he was credited as Duke Morrison, a childhood nickname derived from the name of his beloved pet dog.

Wayne’s first starring role came in 1930 with The Big Trail, a film directed by his college buddy Raoul Walsh. It was during this time that Marion Morrison became “John Wayne,” when director Walsh didn’t think Marion was a good name for an actor playing a tough western hero. Despite the lead actor’s new name, however, the movie flopped. Throughout the 1930s, Wayne made dozens of mediocre westerns, sometimes churning out two movies a week. In them, he played various rough-and-tumble characters and occasionally appeared as “Singing Sandy,” a musical cowpoke a la Roy Rogers. In 1939, Wayne finally had his breakthrough when his old friend John Ford cast him as Ringo Kid in the Oscar-winning Stagecoach. Wayne went on to play larger-than-life heroes in dozens of movies and came to symbolize a type of rugged, strong, straight-shooting American man.

John Ford directed Wayne in some of his best-known films, including Fort Apache (1948), She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949), Rio Grande (1950), The Quiet Man (1952) and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence (1962). Off-screen, Wayne came to be known for his conservative political views. He produced, directed and starred in The Alamo (1960) and The Green Berets (1968), both of which reflected his patriotic, conservative leanings. In 1969, he won an Oscar for his role as a drunken, one-eyed federal marshal named Rooster Cogburn in True Grit. Wayne’s last film was The Shootist (1976), in which he played a legendary gunslinger dying of cancer. The role had particular meaning, as the actor was fighting the disease in real life. During four decades of acting, Wayne, with his trademark drawl and good looks, appeared in over 250 films. He was married three times and had seven children.

Related Videos John Wayne Wins Best Actor: 1970 Oscars - YouTube John Wayne Wins Best Actor: 1970 Oscars Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Jul 1, 2009 John Wayne winning the Best Actor Oscar® for his performance in "True Grit" - 42nd Annual Academy Awards® in 1970. Presented by Barbra Streisand. Category

Question: What is the title of the only film for which actor John Wayne won an Oscar?
Answer: True Grit